Gramophone or the like



April '6 1926.

L. FORSE GRAMOPHONE OR THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1925 I INVENTOR X 5B 9 LYNDALL FbRSE, 6

AT TOPNEXS Patented Apr. .6,- 1926.

LYNDALL roasn, or YEOVIL, ENGLAND.

GRAMOPHONE OR THE LIKE.

Application filed May 20, 1925. Serial No. 31,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYNDALL Fonsn, of Yeovil, Somerset, England, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in or Relating to Gramophones or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for holding pins or needles for graniophones and the like, and has for its" object an improved device adapted to hold a number of pins or needles, and to supply these one at a time as may be required.

' According to this invention, I provide a disc-shaped magazine in which the pins or needles are disposed radially, being held in position by grooves, or concentric perforated bands or in any other suitable manner, said magazine being pivoted in a circular casing, and adapted to revolve as and when required so as to present a new pin or needle to the needle holder and allow same to drop in position under the action of gravitation whenever desired.

In one particular manner of carrying out this invention, I provide a needle magazine comprising a thin disc of sheet-aluminium, vulcanite or other material, provided with radial channels preferably of square crosssection, a to minimize the friction on the needles placed therein, or with any other suitable radial grooves or the like,which grooves or channels constitute simultaneously holders for the needle in the magazine and guides for said needles when they fall radially out of the magazine on delivery. The needles are loose in these channels or own weight. The magazine-disc is centrally pivoted inside a circular casing carried by the tone arm in a vertical position, and the needle holder is fixed vertically underneath the casing, in such a manner that, as soon as one radial groove or channel in the magazine-disc is brought over the axial channel of the needle holder, a needle which is in position for delivery in the guide formed by said apertures falls by its own weight into said channel, in which it is adapted to be clamped by a suitable device described hereafter. To facilitate and ensure the delivery of the needle, the needle channel of the holder tapers out slightly at the top.

If a needle were delivered in this fashion,

however, it would merely fall through the holder, unless the clamping device were operated with sufficient dexterity to catch it as it fell and clamp it, but even if this were done, it is probable that the needle would not be in the correct position, and would said holder, so as to prevent the needle which is delivered into the channel of the holder falling out, the distance ofthe shelf from the opening of the'needle hold-er being such that the needle is stopped in its fall exactly in its correct position, so that when the clamping device isthen actuated, the needle will be clamped in its correct position. Normally this ledge, tray, or shelf is, kept in the inoperative position by a spring; it is brought under the holder only when a new needle is required. The presentation of a needle, for delivery, before the mouth of the central channel of the needle holder is obtained by rotating the disc by any suitable means to bring the next needle opposite the 'needleholder, the fall of the needle depending on gravitation alone.

Referring to the drawings left herewith, illustrating one particular manner of carrying out this invention Fig. l is a front view;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

iFigs. 1 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views.

In' this device, l is the casing, in which is centrally pivoted a ratchet disc 2 adapted to be moved step by step by a pawl '8 carried y a rocking lever 4 projecting outside the casing through-slots provided in the latter at 5 and 6; the said lever 4 is operated by a handle 7provided at the upper end, and has an extension 8 at the other end, which supports the small hinged tray 9; it is moreover shaped so as to constitute a cam 10, so designed as tooperate the lever 11 of the clamping device 12, which, in this case, is an eccentric spindle (shown in detail on Fig. .3), with a bearing surface 13 which is adapted to clamp the needle 14: in the needle holder 15. The forward motion of the lever 4. is limited by a stop 4;. The pin 4: is to hold the lever 4: at its inoperative position. The needle holder 15 is carried adjustably by the casing 1, by means of a spring arrangement 16, adjustable by screws 17, so that it can be brought in exact alignment with the passage 18 provided in the casing 1 for the passage of the needles. On the ratchet disc 2 is frictionally mounted the needle carrier 19 provided with the grooves or slots or channels 20 in which the needles are held before delivery. Each of said grooves, slots or channels is rectangular n cross-section, so as to guide the needle 11: contains eflicient-ly while minimizing friction, so that each needle falls bygravitation only when the channel containing it is brought opposite the passage 18. Perforations 21 in the magazine disc allow the needles to be seen from the outside, so that the state of emptiness of the magazine canbe ascertained without taking the magazine out. The magazine disc carries on its inner face two pins (22 Figure 1) diametrally opposite, which pins project very slightly, and are adapted to fit in two of the recesses 22 provided in the ratchet disc, for the purpose of obviating the llSk of damage, as explained hereafter.

The magazine disc is prov1ded w1th two pins 22 or suitable projections diametrally opposite, in a suitable position perpendicular to its plane, which project slightly through its back and normally engage 1n any opposite tvo of a plurality of corresponding recesses 22 in the face of the ratchet member. The tangential pressure caused by actuating the lever causes the disc to lift and the pin to come out of the recesses-the necessary play being allowed by a spring mounting of the magazine.

The hinged ledge 9 carried by the extension 8 of the lever -i has a lip 9 and is actuated by a light spring 9 (Figure 8-) so as to be normally in the position shown in Fig. 4.

In operation, when the lever 1 1s actuated, the action of the cam surface 10 on the lever 11 is such that, by bearing on pin 23 on the lever 11, the latter lever is caused to rock, thereby immediately releasing the needle which it is desired to have ejected, so that this needle falls before the hinged ledge 9 has had time to advance underneath the needle holder. As the movement of the lever continues, the ratchet disc 2' rotates and. with it, the magazine disc; the amount of rotation is adjusted to bring the first needle holding groove, following the last one which has been emptied, over the passage 18 leading to the needle holder, now empty. Simultaneously, the hinged ledge 9 has been brought well beyond the axis of the needle holder, to the right of the position shown in Fig; 5, so that the needle falling through the needle holder is stopped by the ledge, and is held in this position by the horizontal portion of the ledge on the extreme left of the latter. hen the handle 7 is released,

however, the extension 8 moves back suliiciently to allow the lever 11 to rock back and cause the eccentric spindle to clamp the needle before the point of this needle, under which the tray has been sliding, reaches the extreme right of the ledge. This is the position shown in Fig. 5, the needle having not yet been clamped, in the position 14:

As the ledge moves farther back, being carried by the extension 8 to its original i11- operative position, its lip 9' is brought against the needle, the pressure of which causes the ledge to tip up, lowering the lip 9 so as to pass past the needle, which is now just clamped by the eccentric spindle in the correct position, and ready for use. The whole operation of replacing a needle does not last as much as one second.

The lip 9 has a slot (Figure 7) at the centre, the width of the slot being less than the normal diameter of the needle, so that the point of the needle does not come in forced contact with the lip 9', which is tipped by the pressure of the body of the needleon the edges of the slot, while the point of the needle follows the slot without taking contact with its edges, and therefore, harmlessly. In the non-operative position, the lever 11 rests with its pin24: against or in proximity to the needle holder, as shown in Fig. 1. This is to prevent the lever 11 from revolving out of action by means of the clamping spring actuated pin 12.

The magazine disc is held in position on its pivot by a nut 26 and a spring 25, the pressure of which allows the two diametral pins to ride out of the recesses into which they happen tobe at the time, whenever it is desired to rotate the magazine disc manually, for any reason, without actuating the ratchet disc.

The needle distributing device may be secured to the tone arm in any convenient and suitable way. For example, I may have a bracket 30 extending from the sound box as shown in Fig. 2, and this bracket may have an extension 32 for supporting the needle holder 15. The magazine may have extending therefrom a ledge 81 and extending from the bottom of the ledge 31 may be a shelf 33 shown best in Fig. 2. The spring 16 is attached to the ledge by a bolt 17 and the rear end of the spring 16 holds the needle holder 15 in position to receive the needles from the magazine. Preferably the lit) magazine is constructed in conjunction or integral with the sound-box, as the sound quality of the arrangement is then much improved.

The magazine disc, filled with. needles, may be supplied to the public packed with a suitable guard ring or any other device allowing it to be placed in position in the casing without spilling the needles, or such a device may be provided as will enable any unskilled person to refill the magazine disc and replace it in the casing without dropping the needles out.

Any material other than metal may be used for the various parts of the needle delivery device, as may be found convenient.

When a needle'is clamped in proper position for use, I provide against the needle being forced upwards again into the holder by a careless dropping of the sound-box upon the record or record revolving table, or any other means, by means of a slight recess being cut in the channel on the opposite side of the cam and shown in Fig. 6 at the point 27. The downward fall of the needle is not checked in any way by this recess. The needle does not reach the clamping position as previously described until the stump-end thereof has fallen just below the recess 27 and by the action of clamping, it is forced into the recess 27, thus preventing its accidental return by pressure or otherwise into the upper or tapering part of the needle holder.

What I claim and desire Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a needle holder to secure by comprising a revolvable magazine for carrying the needles in position to be gravity operated, needle clamping and releasing means and a controlling member which when operated will release a used needle, rotate the magazine so as to allow the used needle to be carried out of position and the new needle brought into position for gravity operation and clamped in said new position.

2. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the controlling member carries a pawl for coaction with the magazine to rotate the same.

3. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the controlling member is pivoted and a pawl member is carried by said controlling member for rotating the magazine.

4. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a single pivoted controlling member by which the release of the used needle, the rotation of the magazine, and the dropping, locating and clamping of the new needle in its correct position are performed by manually acting upon said single pivoted controlling memher, and a pawl member is carried by said controlling member, the said pawl member engaging suitable projections 0n the magazine. I

5. A magazine gramophone needle holde as claimed in claim 1 in which the controlling member has a cam surface for actuating the clamping means.

6. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a cam surface on the controlling member adapted to actuate the clamping means, said clamping means further comprising a pivoted lever adapted to be rocked by said cam surface, and an eccentric pin mounted on the pivot of said lever.

c A 1 v magazine gramophone needle holder 8. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for locating the needle in position comprise a ledge, and means actuated by the said controlling member, for bringing said ledge under the needle hold-er after the used. needle has dropped, for the purpose of stopping the incoming needle from falling off before it is clamped in the needle holder, the ledge being automatically withdrawn by said means afterthe needle has been clamped in position.

9. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the means for locating the needle in position comprises a ledge supported by the said controlling member so as to be brought under the needle holder after the used needle has dropped for the purpose of stopping'the incoming needle from falling off before it is clamped in the needle holder.

10. A magazine gramophoneneedle holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for locating the needle in position comprises a ledge hinged to the said controlling member so'as to be brought under the needle holder after the usedneedle has dropped, for the purpose of stopping the incoming needle from falling off before it is clamped in the needle holder, a slotted lip hinged on said ledge and a spring adapted to normally keep the said lip in the raised position.

11. A magazine gramophone needle holder as claimed inclaim 1 in which there is a supporting member for said magazine, a pivot for said magazine, two diametrically.

. situated slightly projecting elements on said magazine, a plurality of corresponding recesses in the back of the supporting member carrying saidmagazine, the said projections being normally kept in engagement with two of said recesses, and a spring exerting an axial thrust for the purpose of maintaining said projections and said recesses in engagement, said spring being adapted to yield and allow the magazine to be disengaged from said recesses and rotated. manually with respect to the supporting member when desired.

12. A magazine gramophone needle hol-der as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a supporting member for said magazine, a

pivot for said magazine, two diametrically situated slightly projecting elements on said magazine, a plurality of corresponding recesses in the back of the supporting member carrying said magazine, the said projections being normally kept in engagement with two of said recesses and a spring exerting an axial thrust for the purpose of maintaining said projections and said recesses in engagement, said spring being adapted to yield and allow the magazine to be disengaged from said recesses and rotated manually with respect to the supporting member when desired, said supporting member being constituted, by a ratchet disc.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LYN DALL FORSE. 

